U.S. Ser. No. 07/050,793 discloses a transition adapter which is secured onto a flat power cable by being crimped thereto, and the adapter includes one or more contact sections to be engaged with corresponding contacts of an electrical connector to transmit power current from the cable to the connector. The cable is of the type entering commercial use for transmitting electrical power of for example 75 amperes nominal, and includes a flat conductor one inch wide and about 0.020 inches thick with an extruded insulated coating of about 0.004-8 inches thick over each surface with the cable having a total thickness averaging about 0.034 inches. The metal of the flat conductor is for example of Copper Alloy 110 and the insulation is for example TEFZEL thermoplastic resin known as polyethylene-co-tetrafluoro-ethylene copolymer (trademark of the E. I. DuPont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington, Del.).
The transition adapter of Ser. No. 07/050,793 includes a pair of plate sections hinged together at the forward or terminal end of the adapter, and a still-insulated end or edge portion of the cable is to be crimped therebetween. At a selected location forwardly of the cable-crimping region at least one of the plate sections is bent at an angle away from the other so that the plate sections are facing each other at an angle and are thus spaced apart to receive the cable end or edge therebetween. A plurality of lances extend from one plate section toward corresponding apertures in the other so that upon pressing the plate sections together the lances penetrate through the cable. The lances are then received through the apertures and the ends thereof are bent over and against the outer surface of the other plate section, being bent over by tool means or by integral arcuate guides at each aperture. By penetrating the cable a plurality of electrical connections are formed between the adapter and sheared conductor edges of the cable. By being stamped from sheet metal of an appropriate alloy, the lances are preferably defined by shear edges and penetrate through the insulation and also the conductor of the cable in cooperation with the lance-receiving apertures which preferably include at least one shear edge against which the cable is pressed during penetration by the lances. Additional electrical connections are made by a plurality of barbs which penetrate the cable insulation to engage and bite into the cable conductor.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/193,458 (AMP filed May 13, 1988 and assigned to the assignee hereof, discloses another transition adapter for terminating flat power cable. Opposed plate sections have opposed cooperating terminating regions comprised of a plurality of alternating wave shapes and relief recesses, with each wave shape aligned with a recess of the opposing terminating region. When the plate sections are urged together under sufficient force, shearing edges along each side of each wave shape shear the cable conductor by cooperating with shearing edges of the adjacent wave shapes of the opposing terminating region, scissors-fashion. Crests of the wave shapes deflect the sheared cable portions into the opposing relief recesses, forming a series of interlocking wave joints across the intermeshing terminating regions and terminating the cable between the plate sections. The wave crests deflect integral strips of conductor out of the plane of the cable, exposing sheared conductor edges to be electrically connected such as with solder or with surfaces of soft copper members secured to outer surfaces of the plate sections and held against the exposed conductor edges by being staked to create stored energy for gas-tight electrical connections.
It is desired to provide terminals terminated to an end of a flat cable with means to resist torque applied to the termination by strain on the flat cable, and thus protect the termination from adverse effects.
It is further desirable to provide such a strain relief integral with the terminal.